It might just happen that you can soon buy fruit juice from Sierra Leone's first juice factory in the supermarket. Sierra Leone is a fertile country. But the majority of the population hardly knows how to benefit from this. That is why Woord en Daad and Initiative Sustainable Trade (IDH) are investing in Sierra Leone's first juice plant to offer farmers and factory employees growth prospects.

A popular product

As the world's population grows and more and more food is needed, the chances for the fertile Sierra Leone are greater than ever. Fruit (juice) is one of the products that do well on the export market. But small-scale farmers do not automatically benefit from the growing demand for food. The power in agricultural chains is often skewed. Farmers are not seen as full partners and do not receive a fair price for their products. In addition, many farmers lack knowledge, resources and markets, with the result that they are unable to grow their production and increase their income.

7,000 farmers involved

Until the end of 2020, Woord en Daad, in cooperation with Fair Match Support, its Sierra Leone partner Jula and the American Sierra Leone factory Sierra Agra, will carry out a project financed by IDH and Woord en Daad. The project aims to organize and train 7,000 farmers in the coconut and mango chain to become suppliers to Sierra Leone's first juice factory. This offers farmers stability and income security. In the factory, value is added to the fruit by processing it, with profit for all concerned. Formation of farmer cooperatives and social certifications are part of the project.

Sierra Agra as Fair Factory

The juice factory works within the project to become a so-called 'Fair Factory'. Woord en Daad has developed the Fair Factory concept in collaboration with its investment company Incluvest. We attach importance to a sector-wide approach, in which the entire production chain is important from farm to factory. There must be a good connection between the various actors in the chain and each actor must function properly. Only in this way can a chain flourish and everyone benefits. The Fair Factory, with an eye for the community, is the pivot here, as a stable buyer, reliable partner and supplier of knowledge and services. So that, in the end, the underprivileged farmers and factory workers in Sierra Leone also benefit from the wealth of their land and so that the fragile but able-bodied Sierra Leone grows economically.” Go to https://www.woordendaad.nl/nieuws-en-verhalen/hoe-de-eerste-sapfabriek-van-sierra-leone-haar-vruchten-afwerpt/ for more information.